1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to crystalline forms or polymorphs of 4-methyl-N-[3-(4-methyl-imidazol-1-yl)-5-trifluoromethyl-phenyl]-3-(4-pyridin-3-yl-pyrimidin-2-ylamino)-benzamide, as well as to methods of making the same, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same and methods of treatment using the same.
2. Related Background Art
Polymorphism denotes the existence of more than one crystal structure of a substance. This ability of a chemical substance to crystallize in more than one crystal modification can have a profound effect on the shelf life, solubility, formulation properties, and processing properties of a drug. In addition, the action of a drug can be affected by the polymorphism of the drug molecule. Different polymorphs can have different rates of uptake in the body, leading to lower or higher biological activity than desired. In extreme cases, an undesired polymorph can even show toxicity. The occurrence of an unknown polymorphic form during manufacture can have an enormous impact.
Understanding and controlling polymorphism, then, gives a decided advantage in bringing new drugs to the marketplace. First and foremost, predicting any possible polymorphs for a drug product can be used to diminish the possibility of contamination during a drug's manufacture or storage by other polymorphic forms. Failure to catch contamination can have life-threatening consequences in some cases. Crystallizing an unintended polymorph during manufacture can mean weeks or even months of production downtime while scientists find and correct the cause of the new crystal form or go through another round of testing to obtain approval for the new form.
Second, understanding which crystal structures are possible in some cases allows researchers to maximize the desired properties of a compound, such as solubility, formulation properties, processing properties, and shelf life. Understanding these factors early in the development of a new drug may mean a more active, more stable, or more cheaply manufactured drug.
The compound 4-methyl-N-[3-(4-methyl-imidazol-1-yl)-5-trifluoromethyl-phenyl]-3-(4-pyridin-3-yl-pyrimidin-2-ylamino)-benzamide of the formula
is described in WO 2004/005281A1, for example, in Example 92. Valuable pharmacological properties are attributed to this compound; thus, it can be used, for example, as a protein kinase inhibitor useful in therapy for diseases which respond to inhibition of protein kinase activity. Knowledge of the potential polymorphic forms of 4-methyl-N-[3-(4-methyl-imidazol-1-yl)-5-trifluoromethyl-phenyl]-3-(4-pyridin-3-yl-pyrimidin-2-ylamino)-benzamide is useful in the development of a suitable dosage form, because the failure to utilize a single polymorphic form during clinical or stability studies may result in the exact dosage form being used or studied not being comparable from one lot to another. Once chosen, it is important that a polymorphic form can be reproducibly prepared and remain unchanged for prolonged time periods in the dosage form developed. It is also desirable to have a process for producing 4-methyl-N-[3-(4-methyl-imidazol-1-yl)-5-trifluoromethyl-phenyl]-3-(4-pyridin-3-yl-pyrimidin-2-ylamino)-benzamide in high purity since the presence of impurities may produce undesired toxicological effects.
WO 2004/005281 A1 provides no information at all about possible crystal modifications of 4-methyl-N-[3-(4-methyl-imidazol-1-yl)-5-trifluoromethyl-phenyl]-3-(4-pyridin-3-yl-pyrimidin-2-ylamino)-benzamide. The compound is recrystallized from a mixture of tetrahydrofuran and ethyl acetate, but WO 2004/005281 A1 gives no indication that the particular recrystallization used therein is to be applied or that particular conditions might be adopted to modify the crystalline form achieved. It has now surprisingly been found that the different crystal modifications (novel polymorphic forms of 4-methyl-N-[3-(4-methyl-imidazol-1-yl)-5-trifluoromethyl-phenyl]-3-(4-pyridin-3-yl-pyrimidin-2-ylamino)-benzamide) characterized below can be prepared by choice of specially selected process conditions, e.g., choice of solvent system, duration of crystallization, etc.